SOUTH DUBLIN COMPANY REVELS AS PLOUGHING CHAMPIONSHIPS RETURNS

South Dublin company, Lucy & Me from Local Enterprise Office South Dublin, were one of over 30 Local Enterprise Office clients from across the country who exhibited in the Local Enterprise Village at this year’s National Ploughing Championships in Laois last week as Europe’s largest event returned for the first time since 2019.

An attendance of 277,000 at this year’s National Ploughing Championships will have a positive knock-on impact for all the small businesses who were attending the Local Enterprise Village last week.  The Local Enterprise Village, an initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) in local authorities across the country, saw over 30 small businesses from LEOs given the opportunity to showcase their products and services to the massive crowds that visited Ratheniska in County Laois last week.

Lucy & Me was created in 2018 when Sarah Power couldn’t find what she was looking for, for their daughter Lucy's nursery. Sarah began creating her own products for her daughter, family and friends before taking the plunge and launching the first 29 pieces for Lucy & Me in September 2019. Three years and one pandemic later and the business is going from strength to strength. 

A host of well-known faces dropped into the Local Enterprise Village across the three days including An Tanaiste, Leo Varadkar, US Ambassador to Ireland, Claire Cronin, Minister of State Damien English, Newstalk’s former Dragon, Bobby Kerr and RTE’s Anne Cassin.

They all had the chance to meet with Sarah and some of Ireland’s best up-and-coming small businesses including the likes of MyGug from LEO Cork North & West converting food waste to gas for use in your home, former All-Star Mattie Forde with sportswear company Bodibro supported by LEO Wexford and LEO Donegal supported designer Bernie Murphy. There was something for everyone at this year’s Local Enterprise Village.

The Local Enterprise Village is just one of the Local Enterprise Offices initiatives that aim to support and promote small businesses across the country. There are 31 Local Enterprise Offices located in local authorities nationwide funded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment through Enterprise Ireland.  Other initiatives include Local Enterprise Week, National Women’s Enterprise Day, the Local Enterprise Showcase, the Student Enterprise Programme and the National Enterprise Awards.  For more information on the Local Enterprise Offices and their range of supports and programmes, go to www.LocalEnterprise.ie.